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John Kelleher

RTS Senior PartnerToronto

Advises on recovery and transformation, drawing on experience as a CEO and private-equity executive to help clients in a range of industries execute large-scale, complex turnarounds

John has successfully led multiple turnarounds across industries as a CEO, a private equity partner, and a board director/chair. His core strength is combining his private equity investing skills with his ability to lead people and execute as a CEO.

John’s functional specialties are investment management, finance, private equity, venture capital, financial modeling, and accounting. He has taught these topics at a number of major business schools. His industry expertise and investment experience spans a variety of sectors, including aerospace and defense, heavy manufacturing, banking, chemicals, retail, and high technology.

John is also the co-chair of the Next 36, Canada’s leading program for entrepreneurial development. In this capacity, John works with some of Canada’s top business leaders to build disruptive startup companies that challenge large industries. He has served extensively as a director on for-profit and non-profit boards.

John’s writing on corporate governance, corporate finance, and technology has been published in The Globe and Mail, National Post, Toronto Star, McKinsey Quarterly, and Director (the magazine of the Institute of Corporate Directors), among other publications.

Published work

Advanced FP&A practices for a volatile macroeconomic and business environment,” McKinsey & Company, July 2024

Five alphas: Essential capabilities to succeed in the next era of private capital,” McKinsey & Company, May 2024

Faster, smarter, bolder: How midtenure CFOs shift into a higher gear,” McKinsey & Company, May 2024

How CFOs can adopt a VC mindset: Staircase Ventures’ Janet Bannister,” McKinsey & Company, October 2023

CEO alpha: A new approach to generating private equity outperformance,” McKinsey & Company, March 2023

Something’s coming: How US companies can build resilience, survive a downturn, and thrive in the next cycle,” McKinsey & Company, July 2022

AI looks North: Bridging Canada’s corporate artificial intelligence gap,” McKinsey & Company, May 2018

Past experience

Brookfield Capital Partners
Senior VP, Deal and operating executive

RHB Group
President and CEO

Blacks Photo Corporation
President and CEO

ReichmannHauer Capital Partners
Partner and co-founder

McKinsey & Company
Senior engagement manager

Goldman Sachs
Senior analyst, High Technology Group

Education

Harvard Business School
MBA

Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government
MPA, public policy

Western University, Richard Ivey School of Business
HBA